Zodd
Nosferatu Zodd (ゾッド Zoddo) is a powerful Apostle who has wandered from battlefield to battlefield seeking ever-stronger opponents. He is also a known rival of the Skull Knight. Appearance Zodd is a 10-foot-tall barbarian warrior when in human form. When transformed, he resembles a minotaur with a lion's face whose size towers over most humans. He also has wings which he can make appear and disappear at will, allowing him the ability of flight. He is considered by many mercenaries as the "god of the battlefield", as he has lived hundreds of years without meeting a worthy opponent in combat. Interestingly, some of Zodd's facial features, hair, and pointed ears resemble Guts' appearance. It is not yet clear if this has any significance. Personality Zodd is a fearless Apostle with an urge to fight stronger opponents and enjoy the battles. He is bloodthirsty and does not show mercy, even when an opponent is clearly no match. It should be noted however, that he does not enjoy killing weaklings and is one of few Apostles who do not enjoy eating human flesh; he seems to do so only in the hopes of finding someone who can stand against him. After Griffith cuts off one of his horns in a dream, he prioritizes Griffith's safety and kingdom, claiming to Guts after their mutual attack against Ganishka that if he were to fight against Griffith, every Apostle, Zodd included, would converge upon him and tear him to pieces and eat his flesh. Despite being one of the blood-thirstiest Apostles, Locus said he was a man with great depth. He doesn't kill for the sake of killing and only for the challenge of the fight and worthy opponents. Unlike most Apostles, he is not sadistic or cruel and takes no pleasure in tormenting humans. In more than one instance he shows great melancholy in his choice to become an Apostle as it has made him too strong and he can find almost no one who can challenge his strength. Above all he seeks a challenge and respects any who can harm or even beat him like Guts or the Skull Knight. It is implied that Zodd greatly respects Guts for being a human and still being almost as strong as a monster. History Golden Age Saga Band of the Hawk Arc After killing 500 soldiers from the Band of the Hawk, Nosferatu Zodd is confronted inside a cave by Guts. When Guts begins to charge towards him, Zodd knocks him back by throwing the bodies of two soldiers at him with a swing of his sword.Berserk manga; Chapter 2 Nosferatu Zodd advances on Guts, and complimenting his skills with a sword. After exchanging blows, Guts manages to cut the top half of Zodd's blade clean off, and cuts his right shoulder. Zodd commends Guts for being the first human to ever injure him. As Zodd crosses his arms to protect his shoulder, Guts then cuts his wrists. After grabbing hold of Guts' sword, Zodd transforms into his Apostle form.Berserk manga; Chapter 3 Nosferatu Zodd swings his right fist at Guts and sends him crashing through the pillar beside him. He then continues to launch a series of punches towards Guts, who is able to evade them. When Guts tries attacking his horns Zodd once again knocks him into a pillar. Zodd picks up him and injects his claws into Guts back, until he is attacked by arrows from behind. After shrugging of the arrows attack, Zodd claims it's unforgivable and begins attacking members of the Band of the Hawk, then confronts Guts and Griffith who were attempting to escape.Berserk manga; Chapter 4 He asks them both to fight him until their bodies break, to which they dart around either side of him. As he doesn't know where to turn first, Griffith is able to slice his arm off. Zodd angrily swipes at Griffith with his tail, and the impact of the blow knocks Griffith out. As Guts stands before him, Zodd clubs Guts with his own severed arm, before placing it back on his stump, where it reattaches. Zodd approaches the still-unconscious Griffith to kill first, but he notices the Crimson Behelit around Griffith's neck. The shock of seeing it sends a wave of fear through Zodd, who seems to have gained a new knowledge concerning Griffith and the Band of the Hawk. Zodd punches through the roof of the keep and prepares to leave. Before he does, he delivers a prophecy to Guts, stating that if he is a true friend to Griffith when the latter's ambition collapses, then an unavoidable death with come for him. With that, Zodd grows bat-like wings, jumps through the hole in the roof, and flies away.Berserk manga; Chapter 5 During the battle for Doldrey, Nosferatu Zodd sits atop his horse and watches the duel, between Guts and Boscogn, until deciding to throw his sword to Guts on the battlefield.Berserk manga; Chapter 27 On the cliff, Nosferatu Zodd, thinks to himself that an event known as the Eclipse will occur soon, before he turns and rides into the distance.Berserk manga; Chapter 28 Rescuing Griffith Arc When Wyald provokes Griffith to activate the Crimson Behelit, Nosferatu Zodd suddenly appears behind Wyald.Berserk manga; Chapter 68 Nosferatu Zodd impales Wyald on his horned head and lifts him high into the air, intervening on behalf of the God Hand and tears Wyald in half. After Wyald's body is removed from his horns and cast to the ground. Zodd stares at the Band of the Hawk, then addresses Griffith, foretelling of a valued possession, once lost, that will be found again. He stretches his wings out, leaps, and takes off into flight. Guts yells up at him, asking whether the Eclipse and inescapable death Zodd had once prophesied had just come in the form of Wyald's attack. Zodd refuses to answer, only saying that all will be revealed soon, and flies away.Berserk manga; Chapter 69 Eclipse Arc Stood on the outside of the tornado, where the Eclipse is happening inside, Nosferatu Zodd is seen confronting the Skull Knight.Berserk manga; Chapter 79 When the Skull Knight guesses that Zodd has been placed in charge of guarding the outside of the tornado to prevent intruders, but Zodd tells him that he is wrong, having no interest in preying on the Band of the Hawk inside. Rather, he is waiting for strong warriors like the him to appear so he can face them. They both begin to fight anew.Berserk manga; Chapter 80 Outside the giant inverted tornado, Zodd reattaches his limbs, having evidently lost his altercation with Skull Knight. When the Skull Knight returns from the world of the Eclipse, Zodd steps forward, directly behind the Skull Knight, dwarfing him. Skull Knight turns calmly to Zodd, requesting that Zodd postpone their battle until a more convenient time. When Zodd looks to see what has Skull Knight so preoccupied, he is taken aback when he sees Guts laying on the ground, surprised that he survived the Eclipse. Zodd's reaction comes in the form of a laugh, amused at the impossibility of the circumstances. He accepts Skull Knight's request and tells them all to leave before the tornado dissipates, upon which all the Apostles within will spill out. When Skull Knight leaves with Guts, Casca and Rickert, Zodd watches them leave together, anxious to see how Guts will live in this new world full of demons and death.Berserk manga; Chapter 88 Retribution Saga Tower of Conviction Arc When a band of mercenaries, three-hundred strong, are in the process of fleeing. Zodd in his human form, effortlessly cuts down the mercenaries in his path. Sitting atop a pile of bodies. He becomes bored of constantly fighting opponents vastly inferior to him in strength. His mind drifts to Guts, having heard that he's slayed powerful beings. Suddenly, a large white hawk swoops down before him, and it says that Zodd is experiencing a vision. Zodd screams at it, that he desires to fight only the strongest beings. Standing up from the corpses and quickly transforms. Charging forwards, the hawk flies mere inches above his head before zooming off. Zodd pauses for a moment, and a seam appears on his left horn, breaking apart, which splits in two. Zodd awakens back to reality knowing the hawk wasn't real. Sat on the pile of bodies. How notices, something has changed; he isn't transformed, but the left horn of his monstrous form is sitting on the ground by his feet, and the left side of his forehead has a large gash in it, bleeding. He stares up at the sky, which is full of crows that circle around the dead bodies. Zodd hears a prophecy coming from a disembodied voice.Berserk manga; Chapter 175 On the Hill of Swords as Guts prepares to strike Griffith, his blade is blocked by Zodd in his human form. Their blades remain locked for a long moment. With Zodd enjoying seeing the Black Swordsman once more.Berserk manga; Chapter 178 Clashing swords, Zodd becomes overjoyed at seeing how Guts managed to survive the Eclipse. Removing one hand from the hilt of his sword, he uses it to punch Guts, sending him sliding along the ground on his back. Zodd moves forward and swings his sword at Guts, but the latter is able to dodge it. He readies his sword, and Zodd meets his blade eagerly. Clashing with a tremendous fury with their oversized swords. Once they come to a natural pause in the fight, Zodd compliments Guts' improved fighting skill. Guts orders Zodd to move so that he may kill Griffith. Zodd refuses and tells Guts that he must be cut down in order to move. Th two swordsmen begin their fight anew, battling with strength and speed. Zodd is able to keep Guts on the defensive for most of the fight. Eventually, Guts swings his sword with enough force to put a chip in Zodd's blade. He reaches for one of the swords near by and uses it to swipe at Guts, whose sword is still locked with Zodd's own. Eventually, Zodd notices an opening in his defense and jabs his new sword forward, ready to impale Guts. Guts uses his foot to grab the crossguard of another sword. He kicks it upwards, sending its blade directly through Zodd's abdomen. This distracts Zodd, allowing Guts to block his jab in time.Berserk manga; Chapter 179 Hawk of the Millennium Empire Saga Neo Band of the Hawk Arc Neo Band of the Hawk vs Ganishka’s Invading Army Arc Final Battle of the Holy Demon War Arc Zodd later participated in the clash between monstrous leftovers spawned by Ganishka's titanic new demon form, and once they were defeated, assisted in Griffith's invasion into Ganishka's central being itself, where the former transformed again into Femto and cleverly used the Skull Knight's own space-distorting attack to link the astral world with that of the living and create Fantasia. Trivia *In the Berserk Film Trilogy, his humanoid form has yellow eyes. *In the anime series he is voiced by Kenji Utsumi in Japanese, and by Michael Alston Bailey in the English dub. Kenta Miyake voiced him in the Berserk Film Trilogy. *In the English version of Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage, Zodd is voiced by Peter Lurie. *His first name, Nosferatu, is a direct reference to the 1922 German expressionist film, Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror). In the movie the word Nosferatu is a Romanian term synonymous with vampire, though this is not the case in real life. *The Street Fighter character Akuma bears a resemblance not only in appearance but personality as both want to fight powerful opponents. They also constantly seek to oppose the protagonist in order to test their strength. *Zodd is shown to know about the Berserker Armor as he looked at it with surprise and even fear after seeing Guts using it. That was the only time he showed a sign of surprise and fear. References es:Zodd Category:Apostle Category:Male Category:Mercenaries Category:Swordsmen Category:Neo Band of the Hawk Category:Antagonists